Despite its occasional ashes of sweetness, the lm’s lack of depth makes it more of a half-hearted daydream than a vivid adventure
John Krasinski Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Alan Kim
Director:
Cast:
Storyline: After discovering she can see everyone’s imaginary friends, a girl embarks on an adventure to reconnect forgotten ‘IF’s with their pals more to Reynold’s character left to the imagination.
The IFs themselves, including the ¤uy Blue (voiced by Steve Carell), a creature that seems to have wandered o the set of Monsters Inc, the wide-eyed Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), and a whole bunch of outlandish, idiosyncratic creatures come o just a tad more unsettling than the lm would like you to believe. For all the hype Krasinski drummed up about the lm’s stellar voice cast, most characters are barely explored and feel more like gloried cameos. You could tell me Blake Lively, Awkwana, Bill Hader, Matthew Rhys and Keegan-Michael Key were involved, but I’d sooner believe I imagined them.
However, amidst the crowded mediocrity of the voice cast, the unmistakable standout is the gentle, inviting presence of Louis Gossett Jr., who voices a wise old teddy bear. A sunset sequence on the dock of the pier emerges as the lm’s most poignant moment, beautifully elevated by Gossett Jr.’s heartfelt performance.
Set in the nostalgia-saturated 1990s, IF appears to be longing for the days before smartphones supposedly zapped our collective imagination. However, the era’s trappings—think suspenders and analog gadgets—feel more like a desperate plea for authenticity than genuine context for worldbuilding.
The lm’s central con¤ict oers a metaphor ripe for exploration. Yet, Krasinski’s script fails to delve into this premise with any real substance. The narrative posits that these IFs can only nd purpose by reconnecting with their original creators or nding new children to imagine them. The idea, while touching on the obvious themes of loss and reconnection with one’s inner child, is inconsistently developed over the course of the lm.
Blue’s ohand remark about IFs disappearing when forgotten is a hint at a more profound storyline, but the lm quickly abandons this thread. The IFs’ existence, caught between the realms of forgotten dreams and persistent childhood nostalgia, is never fully unpacked, leaving a wealth of narrative gold unmined.
Despite these ‘could-have-beens,’ IF occasionally sparkles when it explores adults reconnecting with their childhood selves. Fiona Shaw’s insistence that nobody wants to watch an “oldy” like her dance is delightfully contradicted by her beautifully shot ballet sequence, brimming with regret and rediscovered joy. Sadly, it feels like that’s all the lm had to oer on that front, with Bea’s less convincing adventure hogging the spotlight for the most part.
Krasinski, who struck gold with A Quiet Place, seems to have lost his touch here, unable to nd the right blend of heart and humour. The result is a lm that feels both overly sugary and sluggish, never quite capturing the eervescent spirit it seeks to celebrate. Even the seasoned heartstring-tugger Michael Giacchino’s valiant attempts to infuse the lm with a sense of melodic wonder can only do so much heavy-lifting to mask the lm’s disjointed storytelling.
Despite its occasional ¤ashes of sweetness, IF’S lack of depth makes it more of a half-hearted daydream than a vivid adventure. Perhaps Krasinski should stick to his terrifying, sound-sensitive imaginary friends than the cute and cuddly ones.
IF is currently running in theatres